Trouble Magnet (4 page)

On
my way out to the car, I remembered the centipede. The jar was still on the garbage can. The centipede didn't look so good. Maybe it needed air. Or food. What did those things eat, anyway?

I quickly stuffed the jar into my backpack. If Mom saw me with a centipede, she'd make me squish it.

“Darci's teacher's name is Ms. Wing,” Mom said when she dropped us off at Kailua Elementary. “I called her last night and told her you would be bringing Darci to class, since I can't.”

“I know what to do, Mom.”

“That's my boy!”

We waved as she drove off. “Let's do it, Darce.”

Ms. Wing was standing at the door to Darci's new class room. She was Chinese, like Maya. Her super-shiny black hair flowed all the way down her back. Wow, I thought. She looks like she just stepped out of one of Mom's magazines.

Darci looked up at her.

“Uh … this is Darci,” I said. “She's in your class.”

Ms. Wing leaned over with her hands on her knees. “Good morning, Darci. I'm Ms. Wing, and I'm so happy to have you in my class.”

Darci opened and closed her mouth, like a fish.

I nudged her with my elbow.

“Hi,” Darci squeaked.

“I'm her brother.”

Ms. Wing stood and reached out to shake hands. “Nice to meet you, Darci's brother.”

We shook. Ms. Wing looked at the list of student names taped to the door. “Let's see … Darci, Darci. Oh,
you
are Little Johnny Coconut's daughter.”

Darci beamed. “He's a singer.”

Ms. Wing sang, “‘A little bit of la-la-la-love’ … that was a
very
popular song!”

“I gotta go,” I said, before she sang more.

“Thank you for bringing Darci to class, Darci's brother.”

“No problem.”

On the way to Mr. Purdy's room, I ran into Julio and three of his four younger brothers-Marcus, Diego, and Carlos. “Scat!” Julio told them. “Find your classrooms.” They ran off. “If my mom has one more kid I'm moving into our fort.”

“I have to move into my garage.”

“That junky storage room?”

“Uh-huh … some girl is coming to live with us.”

“What girl?”

I shrugged. “Hey, look at this place.”

Kids were everywhere, running and shouting and raising dust all over the playground.

“Like a party,” Julio said.

“You think Mr. Purdy will let us sit together?”

“We can ask.”

“Yeah, let's.” I studied the dusty playground. “You see Sinbad?”

“Shhh.
Don't call him that. What if you say it to his face?”

“No way.”

Julio tapped my arm. “There's Rubin and Maya. Hey! Over here!”

I hadn't seen Rubin Tomioka in two months. He didn't live on our street, and anyway, his parents sent him to Japan in the summer to live with his grandparents and learn Japanese. Rubin was always in a good mood.

I lifted my chin as he and Maya walked up. “Hey. Check this out.”

I pulled the peanut butter jar out of my backpack and raised it to my eyes. The centi pede was curled around the bottom.

Julio stepped back. “Why'd you bring
that
?”

“I like it.”

“Holy cow!” Rubin said. “He's big! Where'd you get it?”

“I caught it in my … my new bedroom.”

Maya shuddered. “I'd move out. That's too creepy.”

The bell rang. I stuffed the jar away.

Maya looked worried. “What if it gets loose in your backpack?”

“No,” Julio said. “What if it gets loose in
class
?”

M
r. Purdy had arms so strong they looked like they could crush rocks. His thick neck grew out of a bright green silk shirt that hung out over khaki pants. His black hair was buzzed, army style.

Mr. Purdy smiled as we walked up. “Mr. Coconut, Mr. Reyes, Mr. Tomioka, and our
skateboard wizard, Miss Medeiros. You all finally made it to fourth grade.”

“Hi, Mr. Purdy,” we said.

Rubin bounced on his toes. He just couldn't stand still.

“You know my classroom isn't the playground, right?” Mr. Purdy asked.

“Yes, Mr. Purdy,” we said.

“Whew!” Mr. Purdy pretended to wipe his brow with relief. “I'm sure glad to hear that, because when I saw your names on my class list, I thought I might have to install a cage in the back of the room, just for you knuckle-heads—but not you, Maya.”

We grinned. We knew Mr. Purdy from out on the playground. Last year at recess he was always yelling, “Hey! You boys are playing too rough! Cool your jets! You hear me? This isn't a combat zone.”

But Mr. Purdy never stayed mad. Sometimes he would pull up his sleeve and let us look at the tattoo on his arm. U.S.
ARMY
was written in a banner under a scowling eagle.

Julio nudged me.

“Oh yeah, uh, Mr. Purdy, can me and Julio sit together?” I asked, fingers crossed.

Mr. Purdy leaned close and whispered, “Not on your life.”

“Huh?”

“I've already assigned seats,” Mr. Purdy said, straightening back up. “Your names are on your desks. But if you two can go a week without getting into trouble, maybe I'll reconsider your request.”

Good enough. We could do that.

Julio gave me a thumbs-up.

We went in.

Hoo, that room was yappy as a mynah bird tree. I covered my ears.

Fourth grade!

I saw Doreen, Ace, Kai, Levi, Emmy, and Reba. They were in my room last year. And Shayla, wearing a pink dress.

I winced and ducked behind Julio. For some reason, Shayla liked me. Last year she wouldn't leave me alone. Julio called her
Shayla the Snoop because she was so nosy. I crossed my fingers that maybe there was a mile between her desk and mine.

Julio nudged me. “Look.”

A new kid was standing off by himself. He looked like he might barf any minute.

“He just moved in next door to me,” Maya said. “He kinda … stands out.”

“No kidding.”

The new kid was blond, a haole, a white boy. Everyone else in Mr. Purdy's class had black or brown hair. In fact, in the whole school there were only about ten kids with blond hair.

“What's his name?” I asked.

Maya shrugged. “All I know is he's from California.”

Cool. California.

“Hey.” I pulled the jar out of my backpack.

“Anybody know what these things eat?”

“Ants,” Maya said.

Julio shook his head. “No. People. Keep that lid on tight.”

I loosened the lid.

“Don't!” Julio jumped back. “You want it to escape?”

“It needs air. Look, it's dying.”

“It's faking. Just look at it through the glass.”

Mr. Purdy clapped his hands. I put the centipede away. “All right,” Mr. Purdy said. “Take your seats.”

We scrambled to find our desks.

I got lucky. Mine was up front by the window, and next to Ace, who was a good guy. Shayla was on the other side of Ace. Way too close.

“Hey,” I said to Ace.

“Hey.”

I looked to see where Julio and Rubin were.

Ho! Mr. Purdy had placed us three in opposite corners of the room, as far away from each other as possible. The fourth corner went to the new kid.

“Welcome to fourth grade!” Mr. Purdy said. “Or, as I like to say, welcome to boot camp, where at the end of the year, you will be all that you can be. Are you ready?”